From: Combat Trains
»WWI
How the Gains Women Made in WWI Were Quickly Lost
In the early 20th century, 96% of all jobs on the U.S. rail network were male. But by the start of WWI, it fell on women to fill in for them as ticket conductors, booth operators and even porters hauling luggage.
More About This episode
World War I railways proved that they could rapidly mobilize troops and deliver supplies to the front lines, but there would be a price to pay for all that efficiency. Discover the crucial role that the locomotive industry played on both sides of the conflict. See how Germany swept through Western Europe by hijacking their railway networks, and how Belgium resisted that invasion by sabotaging their own trains. By speeding up the pace of war, trains ultimately increased the body count and lengthened the war.
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